Postage or other stamp.



' No. 746,397. I PATENTED D30 8, 1903.

G. O. SNAVBLY.

POSTAGEOR OTHER STAMP.

.APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

witnesses; V a guarantor 7f 3n 4 gumm UNITED STAT -s Yatented December8, 1903.

PAT NT OFFICE.

POSTAGE OR OTH ER STAM P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 746,397, dated December8, 1903.

Application filed September 8, 1903. Serial No. 172.309. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLARENCE O. SNAV-ELY;

a citizen of the United States, residing at Lebanon, in the countyofLebanon and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Postage or other Stamps; and I do hereby declare thefo1lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,suchas will :enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to postage or other stamps, has for its object theprevention of adhesion of the stamps to the face or printed sidethereof, and consists in certain improvements which will be fullydisclosed in the following specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification,Figure 1 represents the face or printed side of a postage-stamp; Fig. 2,the back or adhesive side of a stamp; and Fig. 3, a transverse sectionon line 3 3, Figs. 1 and 2, with the thickness of the stamp and itscoating exaggerated. I

Postage-stam ps when carried on the person and laidone upon the otherwith the adhesive side of one stamp against the face of another stampare subject to the heat of the body,

which causes the stamps to stick together and not infrequently resultsin the destruction of the stamps. To obviate this, stamps have been-putin book form, with a sheet of paraffined paper between the layers orsheets of stamps; but even this precaution, while it serves a goodpurpose, is not satisfactory.

The purpose of my invention is to treat the face or printed side ofpostage or other stamps with a colorless compound which will precludethe possibility of the adhesive side of one stamp sticking to. the faceside of another stamp Without marring or disfiguring the face of thestamp.

Reference being bad to the drawings and the designating charactersthereon, 1 indicates a postage-stamp, used for the purpose ofdescription, as revenue or other stamps or labels may be treated in likemanner for the same purpose.

2indicates a coating on the face or printed side of the stamp, and 3 theusual coating of adhesive material with which stamps are treated.

The compound with which the face side of the stamps is treated consistsof the following ingredients and in substantially the proportions named:stearic acid, eighty grains; aluminium palmitate, one ounce four hundredand-thirty-seven and one-half grains; benzene, eight ounces, fluidmeasure; oil of turpentine, eight ounces, fluid measure. The ingredientsare mixed and allowed to stand in a moderately warm place until solutionhas been effected. The ingredients may be warmed over a bath of hotwater, which will efiect solution in a few minutes.

The solution or compound, which is colorless, is applied to the stampscold.

In the preparation of the aluminium palmitate for my purposes the firststep is the production of sodium palmitate, the reaction of which is asfollows:

Dissolve the soda, (sodium hydrate,) expressing its molecular weight ingrams, in distilled water equal to five times the molecular weight ofsodium palmitate expressed in grams. To this solution after the soda(sodium hydrate) has completely dissolved add an amount of palmitic acidcorresponding to its molecular weight, also expressed in grams. Nowcarefully heat the whole until saponification has been efiected. To thissolution of sodium palmitate add hot distilled water equal inamount tothat taken in the first place. In order to ascertain whether thesolution is acid, alkaline, or neutral, it is now to be tested. This isdone by adding a few drops of the sodium-palmitate solution to aboutfive cubic centimeters of ninety-five per cent. alcohol, (ethylic,) towhich a few drops of phenol-phtalein test solution have been added andcontained in a test-tube. Should the solution be alkaline, more of theacid must be added. If there is an excess of free acid, cautiously addsufficient of a solution of soda (sodium hydrate) prepared in the mannerpreviously stated to leave but a trace of free acid, (palmitic.) Nextdissolve neutral aluminium sulfate in five times its weight of boilingdistilled water. Filter the solution, if necessary, again heating it toboiling. Then to prepare the aluminium palmitate pour slowly and withconstant stirring a sufficient quantity of the hot solution of aluminiumsulfate into the hot solution of sodium palmitate, so that completedecomposition of the latter takes place. After standing half an hour,with occasional stirring, transfer the precipitate to a strainer andwash it with hot (not boiling) distilled water until the washingsproduce not more than a faint cloudiness, with barium-chlorid testsolution. Then allow it to drain, dry it at a temperature not exceeding40 centigrade, (104 Fahrenheit,) or, preferably, 717a oacuo.

The compound or solution may be applied to sheets of stamps in likemanner that the adhesive substance 3 is applied after said adhesivesubstance has been applied and dried and the sheets again dried.

The solution is harmless. Therefore no harm can be done byit when astamp is taken into the mouth to moisten it to apply the stamp to anenvelop, parcel, or package.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A postageor other stamp having its face or printed side coatedwith a transparentcompound or solution to prevent adhesion thereto.

' 2. A postage or other stamp having its face or printed side coatedwith a solution containing aluminium palmitate.

3. A postage or other stamp ha'vingits face or printed side coated witha solution containing stearic acid and aluminium palmitate.

4. A postage or other stamp having its face or printed side coated witha solution containing stearic acid, aluminium palmitate, oil ofturpentine and benzene in the proportions substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE O. SNAVELY.

Witnesses:

HOWARD G. HENRY, WILLIAM G. SHU GAR.

